India women’s cricket team head coach Amol Muzumdar believes the country has the talent and infrastructure to emerge as a dominant force in T20I cricket. He praised the work being carried out at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, highlighting the quality of young players coming through the development system.

Although India have already established themselves as a competitive force in women’s ODI cricket and won the 50-over World Cup, a T20 World Cup title remains an important target. Muzumdar is confident that the next generation of cricketers can help the team bridge that gap, given their growing understanding of the demands of the shortest format.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, the head coach pointed to the Under-15, Under-19 and India A camps at the Centre of Excellence as evidence of the progress being made in women’s cricket. “We are already on that path. Some amazing talents are coming through. The talent that I have seen at the (BCCI) CoE, where they happen to have the U-15, U19 and India A camps,” Amol Muzumdar said.

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“The work that happens at the Centre of Excellence is superb. The camps are a good reflection of where Indian women’s cricket is at the moment. There are some terrific players coming through. We took a long time to adjust to certain demands. But they are tuned in. They are professionals,” he added.

Muzumdar was particularly impressed by the professionalism displayed by young cricketers, even at the Under-15 level. He believes their attention to fitness, nutrition and fielding standards gives Indian women’s cricket a strong foundation for the future.

“Even U-15 players, the athletes are professionals. They understand the nutrition part of the game, the fitness part and they are terrific fielders. They are good athletes,” he said. “They understand that athleticism is key in cricket. You will soon find the younger generation, when they take over, (that) India is in a good state,” Amol Muzumdar added.

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The former Mumbai batter also explained that his coaching philosophy has been shaped by legendary coach Ramakant Achrekar, who mentored Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli during their formative years.

“We play to win. There is no second thought in that and that came from where I grew up. There is no substitute. In my mind, I was really clear that winning is everything,” Amol Muzumdar said.